1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a transmitter. Particularly, the present disclosure relates to improvement in inputting and setting attribute information of the transmitter.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a process control system, various measured physical amounts such as pressures, temperatures, flow rates, etc. in respective portions of a process piping system are converted into electric signals and the electric signals are transmitted to an instrument panel room. To this end, various transmitters are used for the respective portions of the process piping system.
In some of the transmitters, operation portions are provided so that attribute information unique to the transmitters can be inputted and set by the transmitters alone without use of any other tools in installation sites upon initial setting, maintenance and inspection work during plant operation, device replacement work, etc.
FIGS. 7A and 7B are views of conceptual examples of related-art transmitters 101 and 102. In the transmitter 101 shown in FIG. 7A, two operation buttons 2 and 3 for operating switches are provided under a display portion 1. In the transmitter 102 shown in FIG. 7B, three operation buttons 5 to 7 are provided under a display portion 4.
In the transmitter 101 shown in FIG. 7A, for example, a function of selecting one from setting items and one from setting values is assigned to the operation button 2, and a function of determining the setting item and the setting value which have been switched and selected by the operation button 2 is assigned to the operation button 3.
When the operation button 2 is pushed down intermittently, the character string of the setting item can be switched sequentially and cyclically, for example, from “address” back to “address” via “calibration”, “unit”, “damping”, “display”, “identification” and “end”. The character string of the setting item is switched and displayed on the display portion 1 sequentially in connection with the pushing-down operation of the operation button 2.
When the operation button 3 is pushed down, the setting item selected by the operation button 2 at that point of time is determined as a subject whose setting value will be changed. Thus, the mode is changed over to a change mode in which the setting value of the determined setting item can be switched from one to another in a predetermined direction (for example, in an ascending direction). Then, the setting value in the setting item is switched and displayed on the display portion 1 sequentially in connection with the pushing-down operation of the operation button 2.
Assume that the operation button 3 is pushed down in the state in which the setting value switched to a desired one has been displayed by the pushing-down operation of the operation button 2. In this case, the value selected thus is determined as the setting value of the setting item selected and determined by the operation button 2, and inputted to a not-shown signal processor.
In the case where a numerical string is inputted and set as the setting value, the operation button 2 is pushed down to select a numerical value for each digit and the operation button 3 is then pushed down to shift the current digit to a next digit.
In the transmitter 102 as shown in FIG. 7B, for example, a function of selecting one from setting items is assigned to the operation button 5, a function of selecting one from setting values in an ascending direction is assigned to the operation button 6 and a function of selecting one from the setting values in a descending direction is assigned to the operation button 7.
When the operation button 5 is pushed down intermittently, the setting item can be switched sequentially and cyclically, for example, from “address” back to “address” via “calibration”, “unit”, “damping”, “display”, “identification” and “end” in the same manner as in FIG. 7A. The setting item is switched and displayed on the display portion 4 sequentially in connection with the pushing-down operation of the operation button 5.
When the operation button 6 or the operation button 7 is pushed down in the state in which a desired setting item has been displayed on the display portion 4, the setting value in the setting item can be switched and selected from one to another.
When the operation button 5 is pushed down in the state in which the setting value switched to a desired one has been selected and displayed by the operation button 6 or the operation button 7, the value selected thus is determined as the setting value and inputted to a not-shown signal processor.
In the case where a numerical string is inputted and set as the setting value, the operation button 6 or the operation button 7 is pushed down to change only the numerical value in the least significant digit to thereby change numerical values in higher-order digits (the tenth place and the hundredth place).
A technique for performing setting by means of a plurality of infrared switches has been described in JP-A-2013-030349.
According to the configuration of FIG. 7A, the operation button 2 can be operated to change the setting value from one to another sequentially only in one predetermined direction. Accordingly, once the setting value exceeds a desired setting value by only one, the setting value cannot be moved back, but the operation button 2 has to be operated again from the start after passing the remaining alternatives.
Assume that, for example, it is desired to select the seventh alternative from ten alternatives. In this case, when the seventh alternative is missed and switched to the eighth alternative and the eighth alternative is displayed, the seventh option cannot be displayed again immediately. It is therefore necessary to operate the operation button 2 for one cycle from 8 to 7 via 9, 10, 1, . . . 6. In order to restart from the start in this manner, extra man-hours are required to deteriorate the operability.
In addition, the operating amount of the operation button 2 and the operation button 3 for selecting numerical values of a numerical string differs from the operating amount of the operation button 2 and the operation button 3 for selecting a character string. That is, as to the character string of the setting item, a desired character string can be selected simply by pushing down the operation button 2. In the case where the numerical values of the numerical string are set, it is necessary to operate the operation button 2 to select a desired numerical value for each digit and to operate the operation button 3 to shift the current digit to a next digit.
On the other hand, according to the configuration of FIG. 7B, two operation buttons, i.e. the operation button 6 and the operation button 7, are required for switching and selecting a setting value in the ascending direction and the descending direction. Accordingly, the same function for switching and selecting a setting value cannot be integrated into one operation button. As a result, the number of components increases.
In addition, the ascending direction and the descending direction for switching the setting value are assigned to the two operation buttons 6 and 7 respectively. However, the setting value is switched and selected in either the ascending direction or the descending direction by the same pushing-down operation of the operation button 6 or the operation button 7. Therefore, the operation is not intuitive.